Drinking freshly squeezed lemon water first thing in the morning is a simple trick that can help improve the body’s detoxification pathways and can get the lymphatic system flowing.  In fact, lemon water can help improve hydration levels in the body and can replenish essential electrolytes that may have been lost during the night.

However, what about lemon water for candida? Can those suffering with candida overgrowth benefit from consuming lemon water daily? Or should this health drink be avoided by those dealing with this pathogenic fungal overgrowth?

Luckily, we have the answers to all of your questions regarding lemon water and candida overgrowth below.  That all being said, in our experience, lemon water can be great for naturally inhibiting the growth of candida.  However, you should become familiar with both the benefits and downfalls that come with consuming lemon water daily before you start to include this health drink into your diet.

Hopefully by the end of this post you will be able to make a better informed decision as to whether you should be consuming lemon water daily if you suffer from candida overgrowth!

Excellent Source of Vitamin C

There is no denying the simple fact that lemon water is an excellent source of vitamin C.  It’s one of the best sources of natural vitamin C in the world.  For those unaware, vitamin C is essential for optimal health and must be obtained through the diet.  Unlike animals, humans cannot manufacture their own vitamin C.

As a result, it’s critical that you obtain enough vitamin C daily through your diet.  In particular, vitamin C is crucial for the immune system and can naturally serve as an immune system booster.

One study found that vitamin C can help improve the functionality of the immune system and can help better protect against various virus and bacteria that may enter the body (1).

Those suffering from candida overgrowth typically have an immune system imbalance due to this fungus.  In fact, it’s been shown that candida overgrowth can actually contribute to immune system deficiencies and can severely impair the function of the immune system (2).

Also, vitamin C is needed in order to properly build and maintain collagen levels in the body.  Collagen is essential not only for the health of our skin, but it also helps to improve the tight junctions in the gut which can help protect against intestinal permeability (3).

This is just a fancy way of saying that collagen helps protect against disorders such as “leaky gut” which is extremely common in those dealing with this pathogenic fungal overgrowth.  As a result, eating collagen rich foods such as gelatinous cuts of highly quality organic meat and getting enough vitamin C daily is essential for improving both skin and intestinal health.

Lemon Water Contains High Amounts of Antioxidants

We all know that antioxidants are good for the body, but very few understand how they work.  Due to the world in which we live, the body is constantly dealing with high amounts of free radicals which can cause cell damage.  These free radicals can enter in through the body by both the food in which you eat and your environment.

Free radicals are the main cause of aging in the body and can contribute to premature cell death.  Luckily, antioxidants, such as the ones found in fresh lemons, can help protect the body against free radical damage and can help prevent premature cell death and aging in the body (4)(5).

It should be mentioned that our ancestors were never subjected to the high amounts of free radicals that we experience today.  This is mainly due to pollution and environmental factors that did not exist thousands of years.  It’s for this reason that getting enough antioxidants in daily is critical for protecting against these harmful free radicals.

Also, candida overgrowth in the body will naturally put high amounts of stress on the body’s elimination systems and can hinder the body’s ability from fending off against free radicals.  It should be mentioned that 1 or 2 lemons a day provides the body with more than enough antioxidants.

Can Help Raise Stomach Acid Levels

Since lemons are naturally acidic, they can help lower the PH of the stomach.  It’s vital for optimal health that the stomach remains at a PH between 1.5 and 2.0.  When the stomach becomes too alkaline, health problems can begin to occur.

If fact, conditions such as acid reflux are typically a result of too little stomach acid.  When the stomach has a strong stomach acid, it will properly be able to breakdown the food without indigestion and reflux.  Burping, bloating, low appetite, and feeling full are all signs of low stomach acid.

Furthermore, stomach acid not only helps to breakdown the food in which we eat, but it also helps to keep the gut sterile.  Many pathogenic bacteria, yeast, and fungi cannot survive in an acidic environment.  The stomach acid acts as a natural sterilizing agent which can help inhibit the growth of these pathogenic organisms.

Unfortunately, low stomach acid is very common in those with candida overgrowth.  This is because candida will actually release toxic byproducts such as ammonia which can naturally raise the PH of the stomach.  This increase in alkalinity can create all sorts of problems in those suffering with candida and is typically why bloating is a common symptom of this pathogenic fungus.

Luckily, adding freshly squeezed lemon to your water is a great way to ensure that the stomach remains acidic.  Also, it should be mentioned that animal foods require the body to produce a strong stomach acid, while plants typically do not (unless their bitter).  This is one of the many reasons we do not recommend you follow a “plant based” diet if you’re suffering from candida.

Good for the Adrenal Glands

Lemon water can be excellent for the adrenal glands.  For those unaware, the adrenal glands are two small organs which sit on top of both kidneys.  These glands produce all of the body’s stress hormones and are typically not functioning correctly in those with candida overgrowth.

It’s common for candida suffers to have adrenal fatigue or adrenal dysfunction in the body.  This is because candida naturally creates a stress response in the body and cause the adrenal glands to overproduce stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline.  Overtime, this overproduction of stress hormones can be very taxing on the body and can lead to conditions such as adrenal fatigue.

Luckily, one of the main nutrients needed for proper adrenal health is vitamin C.  As a result, by consuming lemon water daily, you’re naturally feeding the body’s adrenal glands and protecting against adrenal disorders.  It’s for this reason that increasing ones vitamin C intake can be beneficial during long periods of stress.

A Histamine Liberator

One downfall of consuming lemon water daily is the large amount of histamine they tend to release in the body.  All citrus fruits are considered to be histamine liberators and will free up histamine in the body.  Typically, histamine does not pose any problems.  However, those suffering from candida overgrowth almost always have some form of histamine intolerance.

This is because candida can cause the overproduction of histamine in the body through the stimulation of mast cells (6).  As a result, this can cause the individual to become extremely sensitive to this natural compound and often causes various food allergies.

Foods that are naturally high in histamine can be problematic for those suffering with histamine intolerance as well.  That being said, if you find you’re reacting poorly to lemons, it’s best to remove them from the diet until the gut is properly balanced.

Follow a Candida Diet Protocol

Although lemon water can be great, following a correct gut healing and anti-candida diet is where real progress can be made.  For those interested, we’ve created a eating strategy that shows you exactly what you should be eating if you suffer from candida overgrowth in the body.  All of this information can be accessed on our Candida Diet Protocol Page.  Don’t waste money on an expensive program when you can get it for free!

Also, we highly urge you to try out our Crush Candida Cookbook.  Our cookbook contains over 20 different mouthwatering recipes that are all candida friendly.  We highly recommend it to anyone wanting to add variety and flavor to their candida diet!